Man Tasered by cops while stepson dies in fire

Nov. 8, 2013
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Riley Jeffrey Rieser Miller. / Miller Law Offices via AP

by Rob Quinn, Newser

by Rob Quinn, Newser

The outraged family of a stepfather Tasered as he tried to save his stepson from a house fire is considering suing the town of Louisiana, Mo.

Officers used the stun gun on Ryan Miller after he kicked in a front door and tried to enter the burning residence to rescue 3-year-old Riley, Quincy News reports.

The city administrator says officers tried to restrain Miller after he became combative, while a relative says Miller was Tasered three times - including twice after he had been handcuffed. After he was pulled back, a firefighter tried to enter the home but was forced back by the heat, the AP reports.

Riley was killed in the blaze.

"Firefighters finally got to the boy, and sadly enough, he was only maybe 12 to 15 feet from the front door," the administrator says.

Miller - who woke up to find the house on fire and fled out the back after smoke and flames prevented him from reaching his stepson's bedroom at the front of the home - was taken to the city jail and released without being charged.

The officers made a "judgment call" after Miller "kept trying to make entry without protective gear," the administrator tells the Louisiana Press-Journal. "They were worried he would succumb to the smoke and heat and we'd have another fatality."

The fire is thought to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring.

In another recent tragedy, the homeowner who allegedly shot and killed a teen seeking help after a car crash says it was an accident.

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